The invention relates to animated display devices which are useful as conversation pieces, novelty items, point-of-purchase advertising devices, or to perform a wide variety of other functions. The assemblies according to the invention are characterized by simple construction, flexibility, versatility, and ease of installation and utilization, and inexpensiveness of component parts. The assemblies according to the present invention are particularly adapted for use in association with lamps, christmas tree lights, or the like, obtaining the power necessary to effect animation thereof from such light sources, there being no necessity to separately plug in the devices to a separate electrical outlet.
According to one aspect of the present invention, a lamp mobile assembly is provided. The mobile includes a base, a d.c. motor mounted within the base and having a shaft extending outwardly therefrom, and a mobile means. The mobile means includes a shaft-receiving body member, a metal rod mounted to the body member, a weight mounted to one end of the rod, and a display item--such as a model airplane, stick figure, or the like--mounted to the other end of the rod. Means are provided for mounting the base to a lamp harp, and a solar cell is provided electrically interconnected to the d.c. motor. The mounting of the base to the lamp harp may be accomplished by screwing the base onto an exteriorly threaded cylinder extending upwardly from the top of the harp. The solar cell can be mounted to the lamp harp by spring fingers, can be suspended from the spider of the lamp shade, or can be mounted adjacent the lamp socket. The display item is caused to move vertically as it rotates by providing one or more magnets mounted on the base, and a magnet mounted to the rod between the display item and the body member.
The d.c. motor may comprise a motor with gear reduction means for rotating the display item at a substantially lower speed than the speed of rotation of the d.c. motor, which most desirably comprises an inexpensive single speed motor. The gear reduction means can comprise a pair of output shafts each extending from a different portion of the gear reduction means, and each having a different speed of rotation.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an assembly is provided that facilitates a speed reduction between a d.c. motor output shaft and a rotatable display item mounted to the shaft. The motor output shaft has a distal curved end having a given radius of curvature, and the shaft has a first predetermined cross-sectional area adjacent its distal end. The display device is mounted to the shaft by a body member, with means defining a bore in the body member having a second cross-sectional area greater than the first cross-sectional area, with the bore dimensioned to loosely receive the motor shaft within it. A termination of the bore comprises a curved abutment surface having generally about the same radius of curvature as the motor shaft. The display device preferably comprises the mobile described above, with the rod and weight so shaped and dimensioned, and the mounting means so constructed, so that the center of gravity of the mobile is closer to the d.c. motor than the area of interengagement between the motor shaft distal curved end and the curved abutment surface. If desired, a substantially planar air resistance-increasing member may be attached to the rod, increasing the air resistance of the mobile and thus slowing it down relative to the speed of rotation of the shaft.
According to another aspect of the present invention, an assembly is provided for mounting the solar cell to a lamp socket, particularly for use with the mobile and d.c. motor described above. The mount includes a body member having first and second substantially planar portions, with means defining a bore in the first body portion dimensioned to receive the socket therein, frictionally engaging the socket as it passes through the bore. A solar cell is mounted to the second body portion on a face thereof closest a light bulb when received by the socket. Hinge means interconnect the first and second body portions for allowing relative angular orientation therebetween to be adjusted, with the portions maintained in whatever relative angular orientation they have been moved to. Preferably the body member and hinge means comprise an integral piece of plastic, the hinge means comprising a thinned central portion of the plastic piece. The assembly may be utilized in association with an electric light for a christmas tree and with a christmas tree ornament which includes a music playing device, electrical interconnections between the solar cell and the music playing device supplying power from the cell to the music playing device.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple and versatile attention-getting assembly. This and other objects of the invention will become clear from an inspection of the detailed description of the invention, and from the appended claims.